A Lost Love
by PeopleChangeMemoriesDont
Summary: Rose is sure that her life is over: Cal has caught her in his clutches once again, and Jack is dead...or so she thinks...R&R please!
1. Chapter 1: An unwanted visitor

"Jack?" Rose stared down disbelievingly at Jack's lifeless body, floating in the freezing waters of the Atlantic. "Jack, there's a boat…Jack, wake up!" Rose shook Jack's hands. He wasn't…he couldn't be…"Jack?" she whimpered.

He didn't answer.

Rose laid her head back down on the board. Everything seemed stretched and slow: the voice of the man in the boat, calling for survivors; the flashlight moving back and forth, light, dark, light, dark…

She didn't want to live. She wanted to lie on this board forever, with Jack in her arms.

No. She made Jack a promise.

Raising her head, she tried to shout at the lifeboat. "Come back! Come back!" Her voice was pitifully weak.

She looked at Jack, the only man she had ever loved. "I'll never let go, Jack. I promise." Then she let go and watched her true love sink into the icy depths. She swallowed her tears, even though she felt like just curling up into a ball and never doing anything again.

If she was going to survive this, she had to get it together.

Looking around, she noticed a whistle protruding from the mouth of a dead man.

Without thinking, she plunged herself into the water. It was past freezing; just a numbing pain, spreading all over her body. Her arms felt stiff, but she paddled towards the man anyway.

Rose grabbed the whistle out of his mouth and blew hard. She saw the light flash back in her direction, saw the lifeboat turn around, but she didn't stop blowing the whistle until they had hauled her onto the boat.

The piercing noise of the whistle had helped clear her brain, but now that it was dark and quiet again, all her thoughts came rushing back at her.

Jack is dead. It was like an endless slap in the face. Jack is dead. Jack is dead.

Rose never wanted to think again, or move again, or talk again. She just wanted to lie here in this blanket forever.

She stayed huddled in the blanket while other survivors were hauled onto the boat. One was rescued while standing on a board, one had been hanging onto a raft, but most were just floating in the water. There were six in all, counting her. Six…out of fifteen hundred…

One of them even _sounded_ like Jack. She listened as the crewmen realized that he had a pulse, and he was hauled onto the boat. He kept saying, "Where is she? What happened to her?" Just like Jack would… She mentally shook herself. Of course it wasn't Jack. Jack was…

She closed her eyes.

She didn't think that she had fallen asleep, but all of a sudden, she was being hauled onto a large ship with the name _Carpathia_ printed on the side. She went with the third class passengers—that was where she belonged now.

As she sat by herself with a blanket wrapped around her head, she saw a haughty, well-dressed figure walking toward her. _Cal._ She couldn't let him see her! Ducking her head, she heard him walk around for a few minutes before heading back up to first class, throwing disgusted looks at the third class passengers that he passed.

A while later, she was looking up at the Statue of Liberty, barely noticing the heavy raindrops hitting her like bullets.

A crew member under a black umbrella came up to her. "Can I get your name, please, love?" He said in a British accent.

Rose looked at him. There was no way that she was going back to Rose Dewitt Bukater. She hated the first class life, and also, that name would make it easier for Cal to find her. She made up her mind in a split second. "Dawson. Rose Dawson." The man thanked her and walked away.

As she put her hands in her pockets in an attempt to warm them, she felt something heavy, hard, and cold bump up against her hand.

She pulled it out of her pocket—the Heart of the Ocean. It glistened even in the low light. She smirked as she put it back into her pocket—looks like Cal just lost a very pricy item!

As she was waiting to get off the ship, she heard a voice near her, a proud, drawling voice that she knew very well. "You there, check your list for a Rose Dewitt Bukater or a Jack Dawson."

She turned to see Cal talking to the crew member that had taken her name earlier, her mother standing anxiously behind them.

"No, I don't believe that there is a Miss Rose Dewitt Bukater, or a Mr. Jack Dawson. Oh, but there is a Rose Dawson! I hope that helps."

Cal and Ruth exchanged glances, and walked away without thanking the man.

Rose quickly turned away. Her breath quickened with fear. She had to get off this boat _now. _

She hurried off the boat into the dark, crowded streets of New York City. As she turned onto a slightly emptier street, she felt a rough hand grab her shoulder and suddenly found herself staring into the dark eyes of Cal. A humorless smile crossed his lips as he said, "Hello, sweet pea."


	2. Chapter 2: A shocking revelation

**So, this is my first FanFiction story. I absolutely love the **_**Titanic**_** movie, and originally only created an account to review the stories for it, but then decided to write one myself. I kind of forgot to put all of this before the first chapter, so…enjoy!**

Rose was dragged back through the streets, her face stinging from the swift slap that she had received from Cal as a greeting.

The silhouette of Ruth came into focus through the rain. She stepped up to Rose. "What were you thinking?" Her fingers twitched as if she longed to slap Rose, too.

Rose said nothing. She was burning up inside with anger and despair. There was no way in hell that she could go back to this life.

_They've got you trapped, Rose, and if you don't break free, you'll die!_ Jack's words echoed inside her head.

They all walked to a nearby hotel. Rose didn't protest, as she had seen the glint of a gun under Cal's jacket. The hotel looked nice to Rose, but of course, Cal insulted everything. "My, that chandelier has dust on it! Why, the coffee on that table is cold!"

As soon as the man at the hotel desk heard that they were survivors from the Titanic, he handed them the key to a room without another word, smiling at them sympathetically. "Idiot," Cal muttered as they walked away. "Like we need his sympathy."

"Just because he's in a better position than you right now, doesn't mean you need to insult him!" Rose snapped at Cal. Cal glared at her warningly, but Rose just rolled her eyes, too fed up to care.

When they reached their room, Ruth excused herself to go to the bathroom. Cal turned on Rose, saying nothing. With a swift movement, he withdrew the gun from inside his shirt and attempted to hit her with it. Rose jumped back just in time, so it only grazed her shoulder.

"What are you going to do, Cal?" Rose asked bravely, though she was trembling. "Kill me? That would give you some explaining to do, wouldn't it?"

Cal pondered that, then put the gun away and smiled. "Alright, sweet pea, I see your point. Now, just give me the necklace…now."

"The…oh. I-I don't have it." Rose had instinctively stuffed the necklace down her sock as soon as she had felt Cal's hand on her shoulder.

Cal took a menacing step toward her. "It fell out of my pocket when the ship went under! I didn't have time to pick it back up." Rose cried, wildly inventing a story. Cal looked as though he was about to hit her again, but her mother came out of the bathroom at that moment.

"Cal, Rose, whatever are you doing?" she asked, seeing Cal standing over Rose.

"Nothing," Cal muttered. He gave Rose one last long, menacing look, then stalked over to his own room.

"Excuse me," Rose muttered, and ran off to throw up.

The days turned into weeks. Rose sulked in her room, letting no one visit and only coming out for meals at the hotel restaurant. The food didn't really agree with her though—she threw up after nearly every meal, even though she stocked up on everything; she had really been craving sugar.

And then there was the voice. _His_ voice. Occasionally in the restaurant or the lobby, she would hear a voice that sounded so much like Jack's. But she was clearly imagining things. She would never hear Jack's wonderful voice again.

After throwing up her daily lunch one day about a month after arriving at the hotel, Rose sat back, wondering why she was throwing up so periodically. _Periodically…_When was the last time she had had it? Rose frantically grabbed the hotel calendar. It was May 2nd, way past when it should have happened.

She leaned heavily against the sink, feeling faint. She couldn't be…she and Cal hadn't…

She had had nearly no contact with Cal and her mother since that first night, always keeping the door to her room locked firmly. Cal and her had never had any physical contact like that whatsoever.

Then a memory came back to her. _In the back of that stage coach…_

They had…and he was the only one. There was only one possibility.

She was carrying Jack Dawson's baby.


	3. Chapter 3: An impossible sighting

**Yay, thanks for my first review! I am going to try to write about a chapter a day, but really want at least 3 reviews before writing anymore. There's a surprise at the end of this chapter, so enjoy!**

Down the stairs, through the lobby, and out the front door Rose ran. It was a warm, sunny day; the sky was periwinkle blue, and the air smelled like flowers and barbeque. If things had been different, Rose would be strolling through a park or lying in some grass on a beautiful day like today. However, at the moment, she was running as fast as her legs would carry her.

She ran as far as she could before collapsing on a bench in Central Park, then put her head between her legs and cried._ What am I going to do…if Cal finds out about the baby, he'll kill it and me too! But I can't get rid of the baby. I won't. It's the only thing that reminds me of him…_And she sobbed even harder. _That does it. I'm running away, far away to where Cal will never find me_.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Rose looked up at the figure who had spoken. It was blurry through her tears, but after rubbing her eyes frantically, she saw none other than Madeline Astor, wife of John Jacob Astor, the richest man on the _Titanic_. She was Rose's age, and happened to be pregnant as well.

"N-nothing," Rose said, turning away and taking a few deep breaths. Anxious for a change of subject, she asked, "Where's Mr. Astor?"

She was surprised to see Madeline's eyes fill with tears. "H-he died on the _Titanic_," she said, her bottom lip trembling."

"Oh. Oh, I'm so sorry," Rose realized that this woman was exactly like her: Pregnant with her dead lovers' baby. For some reason, she felt terribly close to Madeline at that moment. "If it makes you feel any better…I'm pregnant too."

Madeline looked up at her sharply. "Really?"

"Yes, and, Miss Astor—"

"Oh, please, call me Maddie," she interrupted.

"Alright, well, Maddie…Please don't tell anyone, especially Cal. It's, well, not exactly his baby."

Maddie gasped. "Not…You never did seem to like him much! But who's…Was it that young man you were with at the dinner? He had the most gorgeous eyes."

Rose smiled. She believed that she might have just found a friend. "Yes, it's his, and his name is—was—Jack." Her face drooped again.

Maddie realized that both of their true loves died the same night. "Oh, Rose, I'm so sorry!"

They sat in silence and watched children play in the flowers, blissfully unaware of the troubles in the world. Eventually, Rose told her that she was planning to run.

"But you can't!" Maddie cried. "You have no money, nothing packed, and no one to turn to. You might be ready to leave sometime soon, but today's not that day."

Maddie sounded so certain that Rose believed her. Maddie was right; she wasn't prepared at all.

They gave each other the names of the hotels that they were staying at and promised to keep in touch, then went their separate ways.

Rose hurried back through the streets, needing to get back to the hotel before Cal noticed she was gone. The warm, clear day was gone; clouds blanketed the sky, which always made Rose feel trapped. How ironic.

Rose only made it as far as the hotel lobby before collapsing on a couch as a wave of nausea rolled over her. She had heard that nausea was a symptom of pregnancy, but had never expected the room to spin this fast, or her stomach to feel this queasy. It ended finally, but she just lay there, not standing up for fear that it might happen again.

That's when she heard it. His voice, closer than she had ever heard it before.

"Sorry for trying to have you keep my key, mister. They did that all the time in Europe, see."

"Quite alright, sir. I'm afraid we don't do that here, though." It was the bellhops voice.

"Okeydokey, well, I'll just go run my errands then."

Rose was frozen. She knew that voice painfully well. It was impossible. Slowly, not breathing, she turned her head.

The honey blonde hair…the beautiful mouth, smiling politely at the desk clerk…the gorgeous, piercing, ocean-blue eyes that looked troubled as he turned away. He walked out of the hotel, looking cheerful but with something clearly troubling him, as though... as though he had lost a lover, perhaps. He did not see her.

Rose stood as though in a trance. All sounds around her were muted. She gulped air, her red lips soundlessly forming one word: _Jack_.

Then everything went black.


	4. Chapter 4: We'll find a way

**Hey everyone! So as always, thanks for the reviews. They inspire me to keep writing. I've been working all day on this chapter, and I tried to make it longer than the other ones. I'm going to keep trying to do about a chapter per day, one every 2 days at least. Starting in a week or two, it will be harder to do that much because school starts, but I'll try my best! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.**

"What happened?"

"I don't know, she just collapsed—"

"Back away from my fiancé!"

Rose opened her eyes and found herself on the ground with a crowd of curious onlookers around her. Cal was impatiently pushing his way to the front. Rose was confused. How had she gotten down here?

Then it came back: who she had seen right before she fainted. She sat up so quickly that it made her head spin. "Jack!"

"Who's Jack?" asked a woman.

"She's clearly delirious, she doesn't know anyone named Jack," Cal said loudly before Rose could reply. He dragged her roughly to her feet and toward the stairs.

Rose was too confused to fight; she kept looking around for a familiar flash of blonde hair, a glimpse of those piercing blue eyes. "Jack?" she kept muttering.

Outside the door to her room, Cal spun her around to face him. "I don't know why you passed out back there, but it was an embarrassment. What are you thinking, bringing up Jack? He is gone." Rose refused to look at him. "Look at me when I am talking to you, Rose!" he said, shaking her roughly. "Your beloved Jack is dead!" He smiled, pleased by this thought.

Rose looked at him. "You horrible man," she whispered. "Jack was ten times the person you'll ever be!"

Cal looked shocked, but Rose ran into her room and slammed the door before he could react. He recovered quickly, rolling his eyes and walking away.

Another week or two passed. Other than having meals in the hotel restaurant and visiting Maddie, Rose spent most of her time in the hotel lobby, anxiously looking for Jack. So far, though, she hadn't seen a trace of him since she fainted, and she was starting to wonder if Cal was right: maybe it had been her imagination after all.

Rose had a bigger problem to worry about, though: one day, as she was looking at herself in the mirror, she noticed something. She still had the same curly red hair, the same shimmering emerald eyes, and the same porcelain skin, but something was different. She turned sideways and saw that she had a very small baby bump. She couldn't hide her pregnancy much longer. Her mother noticed that Rose's stomach was getting bigger too, but didn't suspect anything. She just thought that the loss of Jack had perhaps caused Rose to start eating more, and so tied her corsets tighter than ever, which Rose was worried might damage the baby.

To make matters even worse, Titanic survivors were starting to have to pay for hotel rooms now, so Cal and Ruth were talking about moving back to Philadelphia soon to have the wedding. Rose couldn't leave, not until she had solved the mystery of whether Jack was still on Earth or not.

She started saving some of the money that her mother gave her to buy stuffy, expensive dresses, instead buying pretty, simple sundresses and saving the leftover money. She also saved the money for groceries, buying as little food as she could.

She didn't dare get a job for fear that Cal would figure out what she was up to, but figured that she would have enough to run away and rent a hotel room on the other side of town soon. She needed a few more weeks though, and she was afraid that it would be less than that before Cal and her mother decided to pack up and move back to Philadelphia.

She wasn't leaving New York City without a fight.

One day she decided to go down to the lobby and look for Jack, though she had given up nearly all hope of seeing him again—she was pretty sure that that weird sighting of him had just been an illusion, because she missed him so much.

She sat down on her favorite red plush couch next to someone whose face was hidden behind a newspaper. Looking over, she saw an ad for a beautiful dress in the newspaper he was reading, but she wasn't close enough to see the store name. "Excuse me, could I see that paper for just a second?"

"Yeah, sure," said a _very_ familiar voice. Then he lowered the paper.

Rose's jaw dropped. Her eyes bugged. She was staring into the shocked eyes of none other than Jack Dawson.

For a moment that seemed like an eternity, they just stared at each other, liquid emerald eyes boring into ice blue ones.

"H-how—" Rose choked out. Jack was still too shocked to speak.

Rose leaned back. This was impossible. "You're dead!"

Jack laughed weakly. "Actually, I'm pretty sure _you're_ supposed to be dead."

"How are you…"

"Not at the bottom of the Atlantic?" Jack said, smiling. "Well, when we were in the water, I was drifting in and out of consciousness. I couldn't really feel or move anything. Then I felt myself sinking. I managed to move my arms enough to float back up to the surface, then all I could do was lie there until a boat happened to go by and someone saw that I had a pulse. I kept asking where you were, but I didn't see you on the boat or in the water, and no one knew what I was talking about. I thought—I thought you had drowned," he finished, his voice breaking.

Rose was reeling with shock. She had been sure that she heard Jack in the boat! He was actually here…she resisted the strong urge to poke him, just to see if he was real. "I thought you were dead, so I let go…" she said. Then she realized, "Oh Jack, it's my fault you almost died! If I hadn't let go then we would have had each other this whole time!" She started sobbing.

Jack gathered her in his arms, wiping away her tears. "Shhh, it's okay," he whispered. "We're both here now. Everything's okay."

Rose closed her eyes and sighed. It felt so good to be in his arms again.

"So who are you here with? What's happened since we got separated?" Jack asked.

Rose's eyes flew open. Everything that was wrong came back to her. "Oh Jack, Cal found me again with my mother and he's got me trapped, and soon we're moving back to Philadelphia to get married, and I wanted to run away but I would have nowhere to go, and Jack, I'm…I'm pregnant." She finished desperately.

Jack leapt back in shock. "Is it Cal's? I swear Rose, if he hurt you in any way, I'll—"

"No, it's not Cal's, Jack. It's yours." Rose admitted quietly.

Jack was stunned. "So…I'm gonna be a father?" he asked. Rose nodded. "Oh Rose, that's wonderful!" he said joyfully.

"Really? So you're not mad?" Rose cried.

"Oh Rose, of course not! We have to get you away from Cal. We have to get out of here!"

"But how? Cal watches me like a hawk!"

"Don't worry," Jack said determinedly. He put his arms around Rose, and she leaned against his shoulder. "We'll find a way."


	5. Chapter 5: Off into the Horizon

**Hey again everyone! I'm sorry that it's been two days, but I've been babysitting 6 hours each day, and I had to bake my neighbor a cake because he's going off to college. Anyway, I'm sorry if some people think that most of my chapters are too short, but I always plan out my chapters and usually think of where the chapter will end first. Also, even though this may look short, in Microsoft Word, this is 4 pages. I really hope everyone enjoys this chapter!**

Rose and Jack met secretly in the lobby each day to discuss plans of running away. Jack had been selling his artwork around New York City, and together they had about enough saved up to reach Santa Monica. From there, well, Rose still had the Heart of the Ocean, which could be sold to get quite a bit of cash.

Rose had Cal and Ruth completely fooled; they thought that whenever Rose went out, she was dining at high class restaurants with Maddie, or some other shallow, rich person that they approved of.

Rose's pregnancy was getting harder and harder to hide. She was now wearing loose dresses that Cal scoffed at, and refusing to let her mother tie her corsets anymore (although they didn't know, she had stopped wearing them altogether). Her mother was happy about this, because she thought that it meant that Rose was tying her own, thus becoming a proper high-class woman.

One day, Rose and Jack were talking a stroll through Central Park, when Rose spotted Maddie walking a short distance away. "Maddie," she called.

Maddie turned. "Rose!" she exclaimed, smiling. "What a pleasant surprise. And who's this?" Her eyes traveled down to Jack and Rose's entwined hands, and her brown eyes showed shock. She didn't know that this was Jack, and was clearly stunned that Rose had gotten over her dead lover so quickly.

"Maddie…this is Jack."

Maddie frowned. "Isn't that the name of your…"

Rose smiled. "Well, this is actually the same person. As it turns out, he is still very much alive." Maddie blinked.

"How do ya do?" Jack said brightly.

Maddie smiled widely. "Oh Rose, this is wonderful! I'm so happy for you two! But…what about Cal?"

"Well, as a matter of fact, Cal thinks I'm still dead, and we'd prefer to keep it that way," Jack admitted. "We're going to run away to Santa Monica!"

Maddie tilted her head back. It was a warm, clear day. Birds chirped from the green, leafy trees, and the flowers rippled in the slight breeze. It had just stopped raining, so now a faint rainbow was spread across the sky. On a day like this, it was easy to believe that miracles really could happen. Maddie lowered her head slowly as tears sprang to her eyes. Rose had gotten her happy ending, but would she ever get hers?

"Take me with you!" she said suddenly.

Rose cocked her head. "Pardon?"

"Please!" Maddie begged. "I have to get out of here. Everything reminds me of him. Where better to start fresh than the other side of the country? I'll even pay for the trip. Please, just let me come?"

Rose and Jack looked at each other. Jack shrugged. "Why not? If she wants to come, I say let her come."

"Well Maddie, it would be lovely to have you on the trip with us," Rose said graciously. She had become great friends with Maddie, and would enjoy her company on the long trip to California.

"Thank you _so_ much!" Maddie cried. "So, when are we leaving?"

"Well, we were thinking about—"

"Tomorrow," Jack said suddenly.

Rose turned to stare at him. "What?"

"Why not? What are we waiting for? We're as ready as we'll ever be, and what's holding us back?" He spread his arms out, a big grin on his face. "We've got our whole lives ahead of us, the whole world to see! Whaddaya say?"

Rose thought about her words, a million years ago. _Why can't I be like you, Jack? Just head out for the horizon whenever I feel like it. _Jack was right—what _was_ she waiting for?

"Alright, Jack. You're right. Let's go tomorrow!" said Rose, laughing, her face flushed with excitement. Jack smiled. She was so beautiful when she laughed.

That night, Rose was in her hotel bathroom. She pulled up the bottom of her pale pink cotton sundress to look at her ever-growing stomach. She felt so happy: she was going to be a mother! _Will it be a boy or a girl?_

She was interrupted from her thoughts by the bathroom door opening. She must have forgotten to lock her hotel room door. Before she could pull her dress back down, Cal was standing in the doorway.

His eyes traveled over her shocked expression and came to land on her stomach. His mouth opened in a perfect O. "You…but we haven't…" Then comprehension dawned on him. "He…you're…Dawson!" His face was a twisted mask of fury—she didn't recognize him at all. He drew out his knife. "Well. Since you're going to be a little whore, you will be _my_ whore!"

He advanced on Rose, but before he took two steps, a fist came out of nowhere, punching Cal in the face and knocking him flat on his back.

"You stay away from her!" Jack stood over Cal, his blue eyes full of anger.

"Jack!" Rose cried. She was shaking and tears were spilling out of her eyes onto her rosy cheeks.

Jack moved over to hug her. "It'll be okay, Rose. I promise he'll never get near you again."

Cal was pale and looking as though he had seen a ghost, which he probably thought that he had. "Dawson—you…you should be dead!" Cal made as though to grab his knife, but Jack kicked it away, then kicked Cal in the stomach.

Cal doubled over, gasping for breath. "C'mon, let's get outta here," Jack muttered. Rose hastily grabbed her dresses and the Heart of the Ocean, which she had hidden under her mattress.

They walked down the stairs and out of the hotel, arms around each other, neither one looking back.


	6. Chapter 6: An escape

**So, I haven't updated in a few days. Sorry, I've just been really busy! I know this chapter is really short, and it was going to be a lot longer, but I realized that I wanted it to end like this. Since it is so short, I'm going to try to get another chapter up by tomorrow morning. As always, I hope you enjoy!**

Rose and Jack walked hurriedly through the dark streets of New York. Rose was nervous; New York had always seemed mysterious and friendly at night, but after what had just happened at the hotel, it seemed dangerous, like a sleeping demon waiting to strike.

They had no place to stay: Jack was staying in the exact same hotel, which was far too risky. Jack had suggested that they sleep on a park bench, but that was taken back after it started to rain. "Let's go to Maddie's," Rose finally said.

A few minutes later, they were standing in front of Maddie's hotel door. Jack knocked, praying she was home. "Coming!" they heard her voice yell from inside. The door was flung open, and Maddie stood there in a white silk nightgown and hair curlers. Her eyes widened at the sight of Jack and Rose standing there, soaking wet, with all their possessions in their hands and desperate expressions on their faces.

"Oh my, please come in!" she said, no questions asked. They walked into the hotel. It was a beautiful room, with plush furniture, carpets with gold trim, and a large bathroom. Jack and Rose hesitated to sit down—they didn't want to get the expensive furniture wet, but Maddie didn't seem to mind.

They hastily explained what had happened. "Oh, dear!" Maddie cried. "Well, you can stay here tonight, and we'll leave as planned tomorrow."

They thanked her profusely, but Maddie waved her hand impatiently. "Don't be silly, you're as good as family to me."

Rose smiled. Maddie was like the sister she never had.

They were up bright and early the next day. Maddie lent Rose and Jack a suitcase, and they got a horse and buggy ride to the train station. Even though it was only around eight o'clock, the people of New York were already up and bustling about, setting up shops, walking to work, and going on jogs. Rose would miss New York City, but it would always be tainted by the events of the _Titanic._ She had to leave.

When they got to the station, they saw that there was a train going to California leaving at 10:30. Maddie bought them all first-class tickets. Since they had a few hours, they decided to wander around and look at some shops. Maddie drifted off to a bakery, and Jack and Rose ended up by a newspaper stand. Rose glanced at the newest newspaper, and her heart dropped.

_Rose Dewitt Bukater, fiancé to Cal Hockley, has been reported missing. She disappeared from her hotel room late last night. A man named Jack Dawson is most likely to blame for this. Mr. Dawson appears to have faked his death aboard the _Titanic, _and reports say that he has been following Miss Dewitt Bukater ever since. Mr. Hockley says that late last night he heard Rose screaming in her hotel room, saying "No, Jack, no!"He raced to her room, and was promptly hit over the head from behind. When he woke up, Rose was gone. Ruth Dewitt Bukater, Rose's mother, is hysterical with grief. Mr. Hockley declined further comment, which is understandable considering his loss. If anyone has any information, please come forward. _

Below was a picture of Rose with Cal. She was dressed beautifully and smiling at the camera, but her eyes looked troubled. There was also a grainy shot of Jack, taken sometime aboard the _Titanic_.

"Oh, Jack!" Rose cried. Angry tears were spilling out of her eyes. "Now if people see you, they'll think you kidnapped me!"

Jack hugged Rose. "All the better reason to leave New York." His voice was hard with anger, but he kept himself under control for Rose. "No one will think to look for us in Santa Monica." He kissed her.

"You're right, Jack." Rose said. "Let's get on the train and get out of this awful place."

Maddie came back and saw their disturbed expressions. "What's wrong?"

They told her about the newspaper article.

"Oh, that's awful!" Maddie cried. "Well, we'll be out of here soon. I got food for all of us in the meantime."

They sat down on a bench, had a nice breakfast of coffee and blueberry scones, and watched their train pull into the station. "All aboard for the 10:30 train to California!" the conductor's voice rang out.

They boarded the train and sat down in large, comfortable chairs. Jack whistled. "Other than the _Titanic, _this is about the nicest moving object I've ever been on."

Rose and Maddie laughed. "Well, only the best of the best is good enough for me," Maddie said jokingly.

They kept talking, laughing, and predicting what Santa Monica would be like as the country flashed by. That night, Maddie fell asleep early, leaving Jack and Rose to talk.

"We're actually going, Jack!" Rose said excitedly, squeezing his hand.

"Yeah. Ready to drink cheap beer, go on the roller coaster until we throw up, and ride horses on the beach, right in the surf?" Rose nodded. "But none of that side-saddle stuff, now!"

Rose did a pretend shocked face. "You mean…one leg on each side?"

Jack smiled and they kissed passionately.

"I don't know what I would do without you, Jack." She said, resting her head on his shoulder.

Jack kissed her forehead. "Like I said, winning that ticket was the best thing that ever happened to me—it brought me to you."

And they sat like that for the rest of the night.


	7. Chapter 7: A new life

**I know this is kind of short, but it's kind of just an add-on chapter to the last one. I said I would have this up by this morning, but I took an unexpected trip to my uncle's house. I hope you enjoy! I'll have the next chapter up soon.**

When they arrived at Santa Monica the next day, Rose's face lit up with excitement.

_It's amazing here!_ She thought. In New York City, everyone seemed to have a purpose. They all dressed so properly, and hurried from one location to another without stopping to chat.

But in Santa Monica, people just wanted to have fun. They would stop on their way to a meeting to have coffee with a friend they saw, run into the ocean fully clothed, and waste the day away lying on the beach, drinking beer.

To Rose, it was like the difference between first and third class. She couldn't wait to get her life started here. "Oh, Jack, it's beautiful!" she exclaimed, grabbing his hand.

"I knew you'd like it!" His blue eyes sparkled.

"Let's go find a hotel," Maddie suggested. She led them to a nearby, somewhat shabby hotel near the beach.

"Now this is more my style!" Jack joked.

Rose smiled. "It just gives us an excuse to start looking for houses sooner."

Within the next two weeks, they searched the entire area for a nice house. They got very lucky one day, for as they were walking to lunch, Jack noticed a "For Sale" sign on a beautiful brownstone house. They immediately contacted the realtor to take a tour of the house.

It had two stories, lots of windows, and polished wood floors. It was also affordable, because it needed a little work: the paint was peeling on the walls, some of the rooms were dusty, and nearly all the flowers in the garden had withered. However, these were all minor jobs, and Rose and Jack signed the papers as soon as they could. With both of their savings combined, they had just enough money to buy it.

Around three weeks after they got to Santa Monica, they were handed the key to their new house. They stood in the front yard with their arms around each other.

"Oh Jack," Rose breathed. "It's really ours!"

"Yep!" Jack just stared at the house. Three months ago, he never would have imagined that he would be standing in Santa Monica, looking at a beautiful house he owned, and holding in his arms the even more beautiful love of his life.

They slowly walked inside. The golden early-morning light slanted through the windows, making the wooden floors shine. However, they didn't have a single item of furniture—no couch, no bed, nothing. "We might have to do somethin' about that," Jack said brightly.

The doorbell suddenly rang, a rich, chiming sound. Rose and Jack looked at each other, eyebrows raised; they didn't yet know anyone in Santa Monica, so who could be at the door?

They opened it, and to their delight stood Maddie. Smiling from ear to ear, she handed them a wad of cash.

"What's this?" asked Rose in surprise.

"A homecoming gift!" Maddie said enthusiastically.

Rose looked down at the money. "A homecoming…oh, good lord! That's…a lot of money!"

"Yes, it's for furniture!"

"Maddie, this is enough to pay for every piece of furniture in the house! We…we really can't accept this." Rose knew that her late husband (who had been the richest man on _Titanic_) had left her everything, but she hated relying on people's money.

Maddie rolled her eyes. "Fine, it counts as both of your birthday presents for the next three years. Now please go buy some furniture!" She ran off before they could argue anymore.

Rose and Jack looked at each other. "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt…" Rose said hesitantly.

Jack pulled her out of the house. "Let's go get some furniture!"

"Thanks so much, boys!" The sun was setting, and some movers had just finished putting the last of the beautiful furniture inside.

"You're very welcome, ma'am," the mover replied, his eyes looking her up and down. He then noticed Jack glaring at him and walked quickly down the driveway.

"I don't like the way every man on the street looks at you, Rose," Jack said angrily, pulling her close.

"Oh Jack," Rose kissed him. "Don't you worry. I'm all yours." She pulled him inside, giggling. "Now, let's go try out that nice bed!"

Jack grinned and followed her upstairs, closing the bedroom door behind them.


	8. Chapter 8: A good start

**So, I've written 2 chapters, because I'm trying to give everyone as much as I can before school starts this Monday. I know that this is short, but since I wrote another one too, I hope that's okay. Also, some people may be thinking that this story is too happy. Well, it's supposed to be happy and fluffy! I don't want to mess it up by putting a bunch of unrealistic drama in. If you don't like it, then no one is making you read it. Thanks to everyone for the reviews, though! They make my day and inspire me to keep writing. I hope everyone likes these two chapters!**

Rose got up bright and early the next morning. Pulling on a simple white cotton sundress, she went downstairs.

Today was the first day of living in their new home, but it was also the first day that they wouldn't be eating in their hotel restaurant or some other place on the street. Rose had never cooked anything before, but she had to learn sometime!

While furniture shopping yesterday, they had discovered a small market not too far from home. Rose grabbed some of the leftover money and headed to the market.

She sighed when she got there. The market had all sorts of food: fresh eggs, jam, bread, meat, and lots of fruits and vegetables. She had always loved going to places like this, but her mother had almost never let her, saying that it was work for the maids.

She decided to start with something simple. _Scrambled eggs are a nice breakfast food._ She bought a package with a dozen eggs, then some turkey and vegetables to make lunch later, then headed home, her long hair blowing in the wind.

Jack woke up about an hour later to the smell of food. He walked downstairs and found Rose putting two plates of scrambled eggs on the wooden table. Her hair was frizzy and her dress had a few smudges of grease on it, but she looked pleased with herself.

"What's this?" asked Jack in surprise.

Rose smiled. "Well, we can't eat out all the time, so I figured it was time to learn to cook! I made each of us an egg for breakfast."

Jack looked around. "Did you say that you only cooked one egg for each of us?" Rose nodded, and he pointed to the carton of eggs. "Then why are there only seven eggs left?"

Rose blushed. "Well, it might have taken me a few tries."

Jack laughed. "Well, they look delicious."

After eating the eggs (which were indeed delicious) Jack leaned back in his chair. "Why don't we take a walk?"

Rose raised her eyebrows. Jack had never asked her to take a walk before. "Well, alright, just let me change."

A few minutes later, they were walking along the beach. The sand squished under their feet and seagulls soared above their heads. "Well, Jack, we've walked about a mile along this beach and talked about how lovely Santa Monica is, but I don't believe that's why you asked me to take a walk with you." Rose smiled, remembering when Jack said near the same thing to her on the boat deck of Titanic, the morning after they met.

"Let's just walk a little farther," said Jack, avoiding her question.

People passed them along the beach, waving even though they didn't know them. Rose spotted a man leading some horses. "Oh, Jack, aren't they beautiful?"

"They sure are," Jack agreed, chuckling to himself. Rose's eyes went wide when the man leading the horses walked up to Jack. "Here you are. I'll stop by later to pick them up." He walked away.

"Jack, what…?"

"Well, I figured it was time we did what we said we would—ride horses on the beach, right in the surf. I thought we would skip the cheap beer and the roller coaster for now, 'cause it might hurt the baby, but—"

He didn't finish, because Rose kissed him. "Thank you, Jack! Let's go."

Jack helped Rose onto the horse and taught her how to make it go faster, slower, and side to side. It came naturally to her, and before long she was racing down the beach, giggling like a little girl the whole time.

They rode up and down the whole beach, going up to the horse's knees into the ocean at one point. As the sun was going down over the horizon, the man came back. Rose reluctantly got off her horse. "Do you promise we'll do this again sometime?" she asked Jack.

"Of course. Maybe we can get you your own horse someday."

Rose's face broke into a breathtaking smile. "Oh, that would be wonderful!"

They walked home, racing the last block. Rose won by a little, but had a suspicion that Jack had let her win. Panting, they walked inside.

Jack chopped up a salad while Rose prepared the turkey and stuck it in the oven. Unlike the eggs, there was only one turkey; Rose was so afraid that she would burn it that she stood by the oven, opening it every few seconds.

"Relax!" Jack laughed. "It'll be great."

Rose smiled, then immediately checked the turkey again. "I think it's done!"

As it turns out, the turkey wasn't burned at all. "I told you it would be fine!" Jack said, winking at her.

Rose smiled. She fell more in love with him every day.


	9. Chapter 9: Forever and always

**Like I said, I'm happy with how this chapter turned out. Hope everyone likes it!**

As the weeks wore on, they fixed up their home nicely. Jack worked on a cute room for the baby, while Rose painted the walls and brought the garden back to life. She was wonderful at gardening, and before long, they had a garden full of tulips, carnations, lilies, and tons of roses. She had also improved greatly at cooking, and almost never burned their food anymore.

Jack bought himself a new leather portfolio, and sold his artwork—most of his drawings were of Rose—at the pier for 10 cents. However, everyone loved his artwork so much that most people ended up paying him 20 or 30 cents. They all asked who the beautiful woman in the drawings was, and Jack always responded, "The love of my life, Rose Dawson."

However, Jack would always save a bit of the money that he earned in a day, and leave the pier a little earlier than he told Rose. Every day, he went to a jewelry store to look for a ring.

He wanted to marry Rose so badly, and what was holding them back? Finally, on the last day of July, he found the perfect one. It was a beautiful silver ring, with a circular, crystal-clear diamond in the center. There was a slim emerald band around the diamond that matched the color of Rose's eyes perfectly.

Jack was ecstatic when he found the ring. Now he just needed the perfect opportunity to propose.

Rose was working, too. One day she was watching a play, and realized that she would like to try acting. She was a natural, and before long had scored a role in several plays. She couldn't be the lead, though, because she was pregnant, and she longed for the day when she could be in the center of the stage.

Maddie was about 6 months pregnant and getting very large. She and Rose were at the park one day in early August, talking about the excitement of soon being mothers.

"If my baby turns out to be a boy," Maddie said, patting her stomach tenderly, "then I'm going to name him after his father: John Jacob, or JJ for short."

"That would be a wonderful thing to name him!" Rose exclaimed. She still felt almost guilty that her love had survived, while Maddie's had not.

"The doctors said that they were worried about my pregnancy." Maddie said. "They said that…that the stress of losing my husband had caused my health to become worse." Her chin wobbled. Rose could see that she still loved Mr. Astor with all her heart.

"I'm terribly sorry, Maddie," Rose said quietly, patting her hand.

"It's alright." Maddie wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. "So, I was saying that they say there may be some complications with my pregnancy, if you combine my age and health." She rolled her eyes. "Doctors are all so dramatic."

Rose had been to the doctor, too, but he had assured her that she was in perfect condition and had nothing to worry about, despite her age. She was sure that Maddie would be fine, though. She had been through so much already.

They sat back and watched the loving mothers play with their kids. They smelled the flowers with them, hovered behind them while they played with other children, and held them tightly while they cried about a scraped knee.

"I can't wait to be a mother." Rose sighed, leaning back and letting the sun warm her face.

On August 12, the four-month anniversary of when they first met on the Titanic, Jack told Rose that he had arranged for them to go out to dinner. They went to a lovely, classic restaurant on the beach.

They split a dinner of fish, talking and laughing. Rose couldn't help but notice that Jack seemed nervous.

After they finished eating, they went for a walk on the beach. The sun was setting, turning the sky pink and gold. Cool sea foam sprayed on their faces, and the ocean was a clear turquoise color. It was nearly impossible to believe that something as beautiful as the ocean could be responsible for the lives of over a thousand people.

Jack grabbed her hands and faced her. "I love you, Rose."

She was confused as to why he was acting so serious, but she said, "I love you too, Jack."

Suddenly, he got down on one knee and pulled the ring out of his pocket. "Rose Dawson, you are everything to me. I love you more than you will ever know, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

Happy tears streamed down Rose's face. She could no longer hear the cawing of the seagulls or the crash of the waves. In that moment, it was just the two of them. "Oh, Jack…yes."


	10. Chapter 10: Belong together

**As usual, kind of short, but I'll get another one up soon! Enjoy **

"That is _perfect_ on you!" Maddie squealed. She and Rose were at a wedding gown store.

"I do like this very much!" Rose admired it, turning from side to side. She had just tried on a beautiful one: it had a fitted bodice with pleating at the bottom, a flowy skirt, and short, lacy sleeves. It fit her beautifully, even though she was pregnant.

They agreed that it was perfect for her, and Rose decided to get it.

She thought back to the night Jack proposed. After she said yes, they had kissed, then walked back to their house, hand in hand.

On the way, they had met Maddie. "You did _what?_" She cried as Rose showed her the ring. "Oh, that's amazing!" She then made them swear that she could plan the whole wedding, which was why she was helping Rose find one.

They were getting married on September 12, the five-month anniversary of meeting. It was going to be a beautiful wedding on the beach, with a few of their friends that they had made in Santa Monica. Maddie was the maid-of-honor, and Eddy (the man that they got the horses from; they had taken the horses out a few more times, and gotten to know him well) would be the best man. Eddy's six-year-old daughter, Dorothy, was going to be the flower girl.

As they were walking back to Maddie's house—it was where they would keep the dress, because Jack wasn't allowed to see it—Maddie seemed deep in thought.

Suddenly she stopped walking and turned to Rose. "Rose, will you be my child's godmother?"

Rose blinked. "Of-of course, but why did you suddenly bring this up?"

Maddie sighed. "Well, the doctors keep insisting that my labor won't be the healthiest. They say it most likely won't be fatal, but in case something happens…Well, I just wanted to make sure that my child would be safe."

"Oh, Maddie!" Rose cried. "I'm sure nothing is going to happen, but yes, I would be honored to be your child's godmother. And in return, will you be my child's godmother?"

"Of course," Maddie promised. "But really, nothing is going to happen to you. You're healthy as a horse! And doctors always overreact. I'll be fine." She smiled confidently, but her eyes look troubled.

They talked about lighter topics on the way home, such as the wedding, then parted ways.

The day of the wedding dawned bright and clear. Rose had spent the night at Maddie's, so Maddie could help her get ready.

Rose was nervous. She kept fluffing her hair and readjusting her dress, until Maddie said, "Oh, stop it! You look beautiful." Maddie was dressed in a simple, pale gold dress.

They got a horse-and-buggy ride to the beach. People kept pointing and smiling, saying, "Oh, she's a bride!"

They arrived at the beach, where a small crowd had gathered. Maddie hugged Rose, then hurried off to her spot. Dorothy started walking up the aisle, scattering rose petals, wearing a baby-pink dress and smiling so her adorable dimples showed.

Rose's eyes traveled to Eddy, smiling at his daughter, to the priest at the end of the aisle, and to the beautiful beach: white sand, blue ocean, the crashing sound of the waves. Then her eyes fell on Jack, and everything else evaporated.

Jack's blond hair naturally fell into his face perfectly. He was wearing a tuxedo that made him look strong, and his eyes were the color of the sky. He was smiling slightly.

At the end of the aisle, Jack was trying not to gape at Rose. Her dress fit her perfectly, and her red, curly hair was elegantly pulled off her face. Her cheeks were rosy, her eyes were a shimmering green, and her full, red lips were smiling widely. _Jeez,_ Jack thought. _How did I ever get someone like her to be my wife?_

Rose walked up the aisle, beaming at Jack. They stood facing each other while the preacher began the vows, but they weren't really listening—just staring at each other.

"Do you, Jack Dawson, take Rose Dawson to be your lawfully wedded wife, for as long as you both shall live?" The preacher asked in his slow, calming voice.

"I do," Jack said firmly, his eyes never leaving Rose's.

"And do you, Rose Dawson, take Jack Dawson to be your lawfully wedded husband, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do!" Rose announced, her clear voice ringing out like a bell.

They kissed, and the crowd cheered. Rose tossed her bouquet in the air, and all the girls raced toward it. Dorothy ended up catching it, and the crowd roared with laughter. Jack and Rose laughed, then kissed some more.

"Forever," Jack whispered.

Rose smiled. Forever sounded like a good start to her.


	11. Chapter 11: A worrisome ordeal

**I just wanted to say that I probably won't write another chapter for a few days, since school starts tomorrow. This chapter is pretty exciting in my opinion, though, so I hope you all enjoy!**

"Bon appétit!" Jack said in a fake French accent, putting a steaming plate of fish on the table.

"Oh, thank you, Jack. This looks wonderful." Rose smiled up at him.

"Well, I picked up a few tips on how to cook fish from all the times ice-fishing back in Chippewa Falls." He explained, running a hand through his shaggy blond hair.

It was now mid-November—a couple months had passed since the wedding. Rose was about seven months pregnant, and not supposed to do much, so Jack decided to make her a nice fish dinner.

They were finishing up their dinner when there was a fierce knocking at the door. Rose and Jack glanced at each other, puzzled. It was nearly eight o'clock at night and chilly outside, so who would be visiting them?

Jack got up, walked over to the mahogany door, and slowly turned the handle. Outside, shivering slightly in the cold, was a man in a doctor's uniform. A horse and buggy sat in the road.

"How can we help you?" Rose asked politely.

"I was sent by Miss Madeline Astor to inform you that she has gone into labor," the doctor explained. Rose and Jack gasped. "I don't usually bring messages, but, well…she isn't doing so well."

'We have to go to the hospital!" Rose pulled Jack out the door immediately, not bothering to change out of her nightdress, and they leapt into the buggy.

A few minutes later, they were in the hospital waiting room, Jack sitting stiffly in an uncomfortable chair and Rose pacing back and forth anxiously. The doctors wouldn't let anyone into the room where Maddie was giving birth, so all they could do was listen to Maddie's strangled cries.

A doctor came out of the room, and Rose ran up to him. "How is she?"

"Well, it's over. You can come in now."

Jack and Rose ran into the room. Maddie was lying in a hospital bed. She looked exhausted and weak, but was holding in her arms a beautiful baby. "It's a girl," Maddie whispered hoarsely. "I've decided her name is Madeline JJ Astor."

"Oh, Maddie," Rose said in a hushed voice, sitting on the edge of the bed. "She's beautiful!"

The baby had a tuft of brown hair and dark, almond-shaped eyes. She blinked rapidly, as though not understanding what these large beings were.

The doctor came in. "I'm sorry, but Miss Astor needs to rest. She has had a very hard labor."

Rose looked at Madeline again and realized that the doctor was right. Maddie was pale and clammy, and seemed to be struggling to keep her eyes open. Rose's heart skipped a beat; she prayed that Maddie would be okay.

A few days passed. Maddie went home from the hospital, but had to stay bedridden, as she was very ill and not getting better. She hired a nanny to take care of her baby, and spent every day lying in bed.

Jack was walking home from work one day when he passed a man on the street. Next to him was a cardboard box with five puppies in it, two girls and three boys.. He was holding a sign that said, _Dog had litter of puppies on my doorstep. Can't afford to take care of them. They are free._

Jack stopped, thinking, _Rose would really like to have a dog. It would keep her company, since she has to stay home because she is so pregnant. _

Jack walked over to the box. The dogs were golden retrievers, small with large brown eyes. One of the girls immediately trotted over to Jack and licked his hand. Jack picked that one up, thanked the man, and carried it back to their house.

"Rose, I'm home!" he called.

"Perfect timing, I just finished dinner. I made—" She stopped talking as she rounded the corner and saw Jack holding the dog.

There was a moment's silence, in which Jack hoped she would like her present, then Rose's face broke into a breathtaking smile. "Oh my, Jack, a dog! I've always wanted a dog! Where did you get her?"

Jack explained as she picked up the puppy. It cuddled up against her. "I think she likes you," Jack laughed. "What are you going to name her?"

Rose thought about it. "I think Jasmine is a good name." The dog's ears perked up, and Rose laughed. "I think she likes that name too!"

So there was a new addition to the family. Rose worked hard to train Jasmine, teaching her to do her business outside and to not chew the furniture, and she was soon a sweet, loving young puppy.

Still, there was always a nagging worry in the back of Rose's mind. She couldn't stop worrying about Maddie.

Other than Jack, Maddie was her best friend, and she didn't know what she would do if she lost her.


	12. Chapter 12: A sudden change

**So, like I said, it will be a little harder to update now that school has started, but I will try to update about every 3 days or so. I'm really happy about how this chapter turned out, so I hope everyone else likes it, too!**

_Rose looked down at Jack's still, lifeless form in the water and felt all the breath leave her body. Slowly, she watched as he sank down into the icy depths. No longer wanting to live, she slid off the raft and fell down, down, down, the water tearing at her lungs, watching the dancing specks of light on the surface fade to nothing…_

Rose woke with a start. "No!"

Panting, she looked around and saw Jack lying next to her, fast asleep, in their warm, safe bed. It had only been a nightmare.

Rose lay back down, shaking all over. She often had dreams about the worst moment of her life, but they always scared her.

Looking down at her pregnant belly, she thought about Maddie. It was mid January, about 2 months since Maddie had her baby (she started calling her daughter Ellen, then from that it became Lainey), but she still hadn't gotten any better. Rose had more pressing things to think about at the moment, however—her baby was due any day now.

At first she thought that the fright of the dream had woken her. Then she realized it had been the sound of someone pounding at the door. "Rose! Jack! Get out here!" It was Eddie's voice. He sounded urgent.

Rose looked over. "Jack!" she hissed. "Wake up!"

Jack opened sleepy eyes. "Wuzzgoingon?"

Rose was busy throwing on a robe. "Eddie's at the door. Get up!"

Jack rolled out of bed, still half asleep, and plodded downstairs after Rose.

Rose pulled open the door and Eddie stumbled inside—he had been leaning on it.

"Jack, Rose I—I was on my way to work and…and…this…" He gestured helplessly to the newspaper in his hand as Jasmine came skidding down the hall and started sniffing Eddie's legs.

Jack grabbed it, now quite awake. His eyes grew wide. "No. No way!"

"What is it?" Rose asked, peering over Jack's shoulder. Frustrated when no one answered, she grabbed the paper from him, gasping when she saw the headline: **Dawson Spotted Near Santa Monica.**

_Jack Dawson, on-the-run kidnapper of Rose Dewitt Bukater, has reportedly been spotted near Santa Monica. He kidnapped poor Miss Dewitt Bukater nearly seven months ago. Cal Hockley, Rose's fiancé, and Ruth Dewitt Bukater, Rose's mother, have moved back to Philadelphia to grieve. They beg that if anyone has information about this heinous crime, to please come forward immediately. _

Below the article were the same photos, the blurry one of Jack aboard the Titanic, and the beautiful one of Rose with her fake smile and troubled eyes.

There was a stunned silence after Rose finished reading. "Oh my… Jack, what if someone turns you in? Cal will go to any lengths to have your head."

Jack was shocked. He had been sure that they would be free on the other side of the country. Perhaps Santa Monica wasn't such a safe haven anymore.

Jack took Rose out to a special dinner that night to help clear their minds.

As the waiter took their orders, he looked at Jack with a raised eyebrow. "I feel like I've seen you somewhere. The paper maybe?"

Jack felt his mouth go dry, but he kept his composure. Looking the waiter right in the eyes, he said, "Yeah, I was in the front row of that concert in the park, and a picture was in the paper."

The waiter looked slightly skeptical, but he nodded. "Yes…yes, that must be it." He walked away to get their food.

Rose let out her breath without realizing that she had been holding it. She and Jack locked eyes. The smell of roasting chicken wafted out of the kitchen, making her nauseous. "Jack, what are we going to do?"

"Everything's gonna be fine," Jack assured her, though it sounded like he was talking more to himself.

They ate their meal in silence, then got a horse-and-buggy ride home.

On the way, Rose leaned back against the leather seat, looking up at the stars. They were so pretty out here in California—as though the sky was a black blanket, with tiny holes where light could get through. The only sounds she could hear were the clopping of the horse's hooves and the fading chatter from people crossing the road. It was so peaceful.

Suddenly, time seemed to stand still. Rose sensed something was happening. Next thing she knew, she was on the floor of the buggy, narrowly missing hitting her head. Pain exploded in her stomach, and lights popped in front of her eyes.

Jack was shocked. What was happening to Rose? "Rose!" he shouted, kneeling down beside her.

The driver looked back. "What the—"

"Jack!" Rose moaned. "The baby! It's coming!"

Jack froze. "Now? Right now?"

Rose nodded frantically. "Yes, right now!" she cried a little hysterically.

The buggy lurched as the driver turned the horses abruptly. "I'm taking you to the nearest hospital!"

Rose drifted in and out of consciousness on the way to the hospital, but eventually, she was in an uncomfortable hospital bed with doctors all around her. The lights were too bright, blinding her. She was screeching and squeezing Jack's fingers so hard they turned blue, but he barely noticed.

"Come on now, Mrs. Dawson," the doctor encouraged. "Push!"

Eventually, hours later (though it seemed like an eternity to Rose), her baby was born. The baby was covered in grime, but to Rose and Jack, it was the most beautiful thing in the world.

"Born January 18th, at 4:26 in the morning, a beautiful baby girl," the doctor said, handing an exhausted Rose her daughter.

Rose looked down at her. She was tiny, and had an almost confused expression, as though she was wondering what had happened to her dark, safe home. Rose was crying softly, lost for words. _I'm a mother._

Looking down at his daughter, Jack felt his throat close up. He swore to himself that he would be a good father, always there for her.

"What should we name her?" Rose asked quietly.

Almost simultaneously, they started singing in whispers. "Come, Josephine, in my flying machine, going up she goes, up she goes…"

"Josephine," Rose whispered.

"Josephine Cora Dawson," Jack finished. Rose nodded. It was perfect, just like their child.

Josephine Cora Dawson.


	13. Chapter 13: A rainy day

**So, I'm pretty proud of getting this up, since my last one was only a couple days ago and I've been really busy. School has just gotten me down, you know? Anyway, I really **_**really**_** want to reach 50 reviews, so I might not update until I've reached that goal. There's a BIG surprise at the end of this chapter, so I hope everyone enjoys!**

"I'm not sure about this," Jack said nervously, staring at Josephine.

Eddie rolled his eyes impatiently. "C'mon, Jack, I think I know a little about taking care of kids. I have a six-year-old, remember?"

Rose handed Josephine to Eddie, and grabbed Jack's hand. "We'll be back in a few hours, Eddie. Remember to—"

"Yeah, yeah, you made me a list." Eddie interrupted, holding up several sheets of paper. "I got it, don't worry."

Josephine whimpered. It was the first time that her parents had left her with someone else. Jack started toward her, but Rose grabbed him. "Really, Jack, she'll be fine!"

Jack started to say something else, but Rose pulled at his arm, and he reluctantly allowed her to lead him out the door.

Josephine was nearly four months old now, and Jack and Rose were having Eddie babysit while they finished their outing that had been planned over a year ago: drinking cheap beer and riding the roller coaster.

Rose would have had Maddie babysit, but she was now completely bedridden. Rose worried more and more about her every day. The last time that they had visited her, Maddie's skin had been deathly pale, and she had had trouble mustering up the energy to carry a conversation. She now had her maids taking care of Lainey all the time, and she hated it. "It's like how we were raised all over again." She complained to Rose. "I never wanted my child to be brought up by anyone but me!"

Rose was pondering all of this on the way to the pier, but as soon as she saw the roller coaster, her worries vanished and excitement crept its way into her mind.

The roller coaster was a rusty red color, and higher than nearly anything she had ever been on. People crowded around the entrance, chattering amicably, and she could hear screams of a happy kind of fear coming from the cart racing around the track.

"Ready?" Jack asked as he bought them tickets.

Rose tried not to show it, but she was a little nervous. "It's just so…high."

Jack laughed. "C'mon, it's fun!"

Soon, they were buckled into the cart. Rose hid her face in Jack's shirt on the way up the hill, but when the cart plummeted down the hill and she felt the wind in her face, she was reminded of a very familiar sensation. "Jack, I'm flying!" she cried just as Jack shouted, "I'm the king of the world!"

They screamed and laughed until the roller coaster stopped. As soon as they got out of the cart, Rose grabbed Jack and practically dragged him back into the line.

An hour later, they had gone on the roller coaster six times. They staggered towards the pier, so dizzy that they could barely stand.

"That was _so much fun_!" Rose blabbered on and on like a little girl, Jack watching her happily.

"Now there's just one part left." Jack ordered two of the cheapest beers that a nearby street vendor had, and they sat on the end of the pier, their legs dangling over the side.

The sea spray hit their faces as they clinked their ice cold beers together and both took a large sip.

Rose spit hers back out immediately, and the mouthful of beer hit the ocean waves. "That's disgusting!"

Jack laughed. "Of course it is!" He took another large gulp.

Rose thought about this, then chugged down several sips. "Yes, still just as disgusting." She smiled, drinking some more. "Now, if I remember correctly, our last spitting lesson was rudely interrupted by my mother…"

And so they sat on the end of the pier as the sun set, spitting and ignoring the stares of passerby, just as they had more than a year ago.

They laughed the whole way home, arm in arm.

"Those people's faces when our spit almost hit them!" Jack was bent over from laughter.

Rose nodded, tears of laughter in her eyes. "Thank you so much, Jack. That was wonderful!"

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "We'd really better get home and see if Josie is okay."

Rose laughed. "You're such an overprotective parent!"

"Oh, and you aren't," Jack argued playfully.

They jogged home as dollops of rain began to spill from the sky, almost as though the heavens knew of the tragedy that had just taken place…

Rose and Jack hurried inside their home, eager to get out of the downpour. Rose spotted Eddie sitting on the couch, and started to walk over to him. "Oh, Eddie, we had the most wonderful time! Thank you for taking care of Josephine. What time did she get to bed at? I hope she didn't—"

Rose stopped dead in the middle of the room, and Jack almost walked into her. She was staring at Eddie, who had his head in his hands, looking as though he was trying not to cry.

Jack noticed his expression too. "Oh, my God, did something happen to Josephine?"

Rose and Jack started to run towards the stairs, but Eddie spoke.

"No, Josephine is completely fine. She's in bed." He said in a hollow voice.

They paused, glancing at each other. "Then what's wrong?" Rose asked confusedly.

Eddie looked up at them with sad eyes. "A messenger just came by. Maddie…is dead."


	14. Chapter 14: A shattering blow

**This is my longest chapter yet, and I'm pretty proud. There's some unexpected things happening at the end of this chapter, and I hope people find it exciting. I haven't yet reached 50 reviews, and I desperately want to, so I think this might be my last chapter until I reach that goal. It's just 6 more reviews, people! Please! I just want to say, though, THANK YOU EVERYONE **_**SO MUCH**_** FOR THE REVIEWS! They make my day, no, my week! It completely inspires me to keep writing. I love all you guys :)**

Rose spent the next few days in bed, tears streaming down her face so frequently that it seemed as though she would get permanent tear tracks etched into her cheeks. Jack consoled her at first, but realized that she wanted to spend some time alone. Jasmine spent the hours curled up beside her, wondering why her master was so sad.

Maddie was Rose's best friend, the person she could always confide in. Now that she was gone…Rose didn't know what she would do.

They adopted Lainey, as Rose had promised that they would. They used some of the money that Maddie had left for Lainey to design her a beautiful new room.

In Maddie's will, she had left about half of her money to children's orphanages across the country. Most of the rest had gone to her daughter, Lainey, but she had left a generous amount to Rose, too. Rose and Jack were just storing the money for now, as they weren't sure what to do with it.

There was a small funeral for Maddie at her old house. Rose and Jack got there early for the open casket ceremony. Handing Josephine and Lainey to Eddie, they slowly walked up to the front. Rose looked into the shiny black casket and burst into tears again when she saw Maddie's face.

Maddie's eyes were closed, as though she was sleeping. She was dressed in a simple, beautiful dress, and her hair was piled high on her head, much like the hairdo that she had had on Titanic. Her lips were red and full, and her porcelain skin was no longer clammy. She looked peaceful, healthy, and so much alive that Rose half-expected her eyes to pop open.

Jack held Rose's hand as he led her back to their seats. She kept her eyes on the ground for the whole ceremony, thinking about the last conversation she had had with Maddie.

"_Please be careful," Rose told Maddie as she got up to leave._

_Maddie rolled her eyes. "Oh, Rose, you worry too much. I'll be fine! I'll see you this weekend, right?"_

"_Of course," Rose promised. As she walked out the door, the last image she had was of Maddie smiling at her, holding Lainey in her arms._

"Time to go, Rose." Rose was jerked back to the present as Jack held out his hand, smiling gently at her. She allowed herself to be led home with their daughters in her arms.

The months passed, and as it became hot, then cold again, Rose slowly healed from Maddie's death. She starred in several plays in the local theater, and took care of the house and becoming an excellent cook.

However, Santa Monica just didn't seem the same as it did before. Between the newspaper that warned people to look for Jack and Maddie's death, it was like all the fire and passion that drew her and Jack to the city had been extinguished.

Meanwhile, Josephine and Lainey grew. Rose loved them equally. They learned to crawl, and Lainey took her first steps. Both said their first words in early November, despite the fact that Josephine was about 2 months younger.

Josephine's first word was "puppy"—Jasmine (who had grown into a 60-pound golden retriever) had been very attached to Josephine since she was born, and was kind of like her personal guard dog. They spent all hours of the day playing together, so neither Rose nor Jack were surprised by the first word that Josephine spoke.

Lainey's first word was "Mama". She was addressing Rose when she said it. Rose smiled and praised her for speaking, but as soon as she was alone, she dissolved into tears.

When she had heard Lainey say "Mama", it had reminded her of Maddie all over again. How could she tell Lainey that she wasn't actually her mother? And when?

One day in late November, Rose was playing with the girls on the floor when Jack walked in. "How was work?" she asked as she welcomed him with a kiss.

"Same old, same old." He smiled, but Rose could see that he was slightly frustrated, and she knew why.

Every day, he sold art on the pier. People loved his work, but he didn't just want to be a street artist the rest of his life—he wanted his career to go somewhere.

As they ate dinner, Jasmine started barking at a wall. "Ignore it," Rose told Jack when he looked puzzled. "She's been like that all day."

Jasmine _had_ been acting weird the entire day—hiding behind Rose's legs for no apparent reason and barking at empty spaces. It was almost as though she sensed something that no one else could see.

That night, Jack and Rose were lying in bed with Jasmine curled up at their feet. Rose was watching shadows dance across the walls and listening to Jack's slow, deep breathing, when Jasmine stood up and barked louder then she had the whole day.

Jack woke with a start and looked around. "What's she barking about?"

Rose had opened her mouth to say, "I don't know" when she felt it, too. There was a stiffness in the air. The next moment, she felt a slight vibration.

Jack and Rose turned to look at each other. The vibration stopped, and all was still. Next moment, all hell broke loose.

There was a terrible trembling, as if the earth was tearing itself apart. Their dresser was knocked over, and all the pictures fell off the walls. "Earthquake!" Rose screamed. The bed vibrated so much that she fell right off of the side.

"Rose!" she heard Jack yell. The next moment, she felt his strong arms around her, pulling her back up.

"Jack, we have to get Josie and Lainey!" she cried.

They crawled towards the baby's rooms, reeling with shock. _That's what Jasmine had been barking about all day,_ they realized. _Animals can sense earthquakes before they happen._

"I'll get Josie, you get Lainey!" Jack shouted.

Rose nodded and moved towards Lainey's room. Crawling inside, she saw Lainey screaming in her crib as all her furniture fell down around her.

Rose grabbed her and started to make her way out of the room, but just then Lainey's chestnut armoire fell in front of them, narrowly missing them but pinning them against a corner.

She gathered Lainey to her, pressing Lainey's face into her shoulder and speaking softly to her. "Shh…it will be okay…"

She could hear Jack screaming her name and Josephine crying loudly, but she was so scared that it seemed as though her voice was almost gone.

Then, as suddenly as it began, it was over. The vibration stopped, and everything was deathly still. "Rose!" Jack came dashing into the room, holding Josephine in his arms. He spotted them trapped behind the armoire, and, after a few moments of exertion, managed to pull it away from them.

Rose collapsed into Jack's arms, shaking all over. "J-Jack…everything is ruined…w-what are we going to d-do?"

Jasmine appeared in the doorway. She had a nasty cut on her paw, but immediately limped over to Josephine and cuddled up to her. Josephine threw her arms around Jasmine. "Puppy!"

Jack and Rose looked at each other. They had to do anything to protect these children, and what to do was clear.

It was time to leave Santa Monica.


	15. Chapter 15: A hopeful offer

**Even though watching Titanic always sends me spiraling into a depression for a day or two, for some reason I thought that it wouldn't happen this time, so I am now bawling like a baby lol. I just want to say, THANK YOU for the 50 reviews! That made me so happy! I completely love all you guys. :) This is one of my longer chapters, because the 50 reviews motivated me to write more! Thanks again, and enjoy!**

Rose and Jack fixed all of their furniture, and used some of the money that Maddie had left them to replace furniture that was unsalvageable. The children seemed to forget the earthquake after a few weeks, acting as though nothing had happened. People recovered from the earthquake quickly, but there was a chill in the air, as though fear was clawing at them. Everyone was afraid that it would happen again.

Jack and Rose wanted to get out of Santa Monica as soon as possible, but they weren't sure where to go. No place really seemed to call to them, so they bided their time and waited for the right moment.

Christmas came and went, as did Josephine's birthday, and February arrived, cold and icy. Josephine and Lainey now both could walk, and zoomed around as if they were wind-up toys.

They could tell that both the girls would grow up to be very pretty. Josephine had Rose's porcelain skin and round face, and Jack's piercing blue eyes. Her hair was a mix of both of theirs—curly strawberry-blonde.

Meanwhile, Lainey had her fathers' dark, almond-shaped eyes and arched eyebrows, and her mothers' curly brown hair, red lips, and clear skin. While she was very cute, and would be very beautiful when she was older, it was clear that she looked nothing like Jack or Rose.

The girls' personalities were quite different as well. Lainey had her mother's kind, slightly sarcastic personality. Meanwhile, Josephine was a free spirit like Jack, and wasn't willing to take no for an answer, like Rose.

Wherever they went, people seemed to stare at Jack and Rose with confused expressions, as though trying to remember where they had seen him before. It was clear to Rose and Jack where they had seen them: the newspaper article about him kidnapping her. There had been several mentions of them in the newspaper since then, including one about (Rose had gasped in horror) Cal and Ruth moving to California in March to find Rose. They needed to get out of California, and they didn't have much time.

One day, Jack was working at the pier, drawing two young girls playing with their father. _I have to get my family out of here. I need to do what's best for them._

He stared at the pencil in his hands and the wooden stool he was sitting on to draw. _And I also need to get my career on the way, with a real job._

He put the pencil down and blew on his newly completed drawing. Looking around for his next subject, he noticed a woman.

She had to be in her late forties or early fifties, but she was still beautiful. Although her face was starting to wrinkle, she had completely straight, shoulder length white-blond hair and gray-blue eyes that held a proud, regal expression. She was dressed in a conservative matching blouse and skirt, and small beige high heels.

She peered over all the street artist shoulders at their work, as though looking for something in particular, but walked away from each one with a disappointed look spreading over her face.

Jack started to sketch her, capturing her frustrated expression, how she arched her back, and the precise color of her eyes, as clear as a mountain creek.

He had just finished drawing her when he looked up and she was gone. Confused, he started to look around when a voice said in his ear, "You're a very good artist, you know."

He turned and it was none other than the woman. Her voice had a slight accent that he couldn't quite place, as though she was from another country, but had acquired an American tone of voice from living in the U.S.

"How do ya do, ma'am?" Jack asked brightly, sticking out his hand.

She shook it, but kept her eyes on his drawing of her, which she was studying with fascination. "I take it this is me?" Jack nodded. "What is your name, young man?" she asked him, tearing her eyes away from the drawing.

"Jack Dawson," he said politely, curious as to why she was studying his work so intently but not wanting to be rude.

She looked him square in the face, her clear eyes seeming to x-ray him. "My name is Anastasia Girard. I am an artist, and you are a very talented young man."

"Thanks, Miss Girard."

"I believe I may have a job offer for you, but I'll need to see more of your work first."

Jack was stunned. A job offer! This was exactly what they had been waiting for.

Hoping to be casual, he stuck his hands in his pockets and said, "Well, I have a lot of my work hung up at my place, you could come for dinner tonight."

She smiled, and he saw a bit of warmth from her for the first time. "That would be lovely."

Jack gave her the address and waited until she walked away before grabbing his things and racing home.

"Rose!" he burst in the front door, his throaty voice echoing down the hall.

"Daddy!" Lainey and Josie came waddling down the hall, Jasmine hovering protectively behind them.

"Hey, beauties!" He bent down and hugged them, then scratched Jasmine behind the ears.

Rose came down the hall, wearing an apron. "Jack, you're home early, I haven't even started dinner yet!"

Jack was nearly hopping up and down in excitement. "I'm gonna need you to make dinner for one more tonight, Rose." Rose looked puzzled, and he continued. "I met this older woman at the pier, and she said that she might have a job offering for me!"

Rose's eyes widened. "Oh, Jack, that's wonderful! I'll make a special dinner, with turkey, and…" she ran back toward the kitchen, muttering to herself about salad.

A few hours later, the doorbell rang. Rose answered the door. "Welcome! I'm Rose Dawson, Jack's wife."

"Thank you for inviting me." Anastasia said graciously.

Their children walked up, Josie holding a teddy bear. "Hello, dears," Anastasia said, smiling warmly at them.

It seemed Rose had gone out of her way to make dinner extra wonderful. There was turkey with stuffing, salad, warm bread, fresh fruit, and a creamy chocolate cake for dessert.

After dinner, Jack took Anastasia up to his art studio and showed her the hundreds of paintings that he kept there. She studied each one closely, her face giving away nothing. Finally, she turned to him and smiled. "Well, Mr. Dawson, I do believe you have a true talent. I'll need to show a sample to my colleague before we make any decisions, but I do believe that you may be exactly what we have been looking for."

Jack grinned boyishly. "Thank ya very much. You can take any one you want."

Anastasia carefully selected one. It was a newer drawing, one of Rose holding their two daughters contentedly in her arms with Jasmine at their feet. "Do you mind if I keep this?"

Jack shook his head. "No problem."

Anastasia thanked him, telling him to meet her in Central Park at noon tomorrow for the results.

As she was stepping out the door, Jack asked, "So, uh, where is this job, anyway?"

She smiled. "Not near here, but trust me, I don't think you'll mind going." And with that, she stepped out into the night.


	16. Chapter 16: A needed opportunity

**Hey, everyone! I just wanted to say, thank you SO much for the ever-increasing reviews! You are ALL my best friends :) This is kind of short, but I'm hoping that's okay since the end has an exciting point, and since my last two chapters were so long. Alright, enjoy the chapter!**

Jack slept fitfully that night, tossing and turning. This was exactly the opportunity that they had been waiting for. They _needed_ this. What if he messed it up?

At around midnight, he felt Rose stir beside him. He rolled over and saw her staring at him, her eyes glowing like a cat's. For a moment, the only sound was Jasmine's slow, deep breathing.

"Jack," she whispered.

"You should go back to sleep, Rose." He whispered back. He didn't want her to worry about this, too.

Rose scooted over to him and gave him a hug. "Don't worry about it, Jack. She loved your work, I could tell. Besides, what's done is done. Remember, make each day count!"

Jack smiled as she used his words from the dinner on Titanic, nearly two years before. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "Thanks, Rose. You're right, as always."

They stayed like that for the rest of the night. Rose eventually dozed off in Jack's arms, but Jack remained wide awake. _This has to work out. It just HAS to._

He blinked, but when he opened his eyes again, morning light streamed through the curtains. He must have dozed off.

The smell of pancakes wafted up from the kitchen. He stumbled downstairs and saw that Rose had laid out a feast for him: pancakes, eggs, toast, and bacon. He laughed to himself. Rose always cooked over excessively when she was nervous.

She was feeding small bites of egg to Josephine and Lainey—they had just started eating solid food. Looking up, she smiled brightly at Jack. "Good morning, Mr. Dawson!"

"Good morning, Miss Dawson," Jack replied, smiling.

He ate quickly, then got dressed in his best clothing. _You shine up like a new penny._ Molly's words echoed in his head.

On his way to Central Park, he passed children running about. They reminded him of his own, and he knew that he had to get this job, to help both his family and himself.

Finally, he got to the middle of Central Park and sat down on a bench, five minutes before noon.

The five minutes passed, then five more, then five _more._ Just as he was about to getting impatient, he saw Anastasia walking toward him. She was with a short, bald man wearing square glasses. The man had to be the colleague that she had told him about, for under the man's arm was the drawing that she had borrowed from him the previous night.

Jack gulped as they came closer, and prayed that they had liked his drawing.

Anastasia spotted him, and walked up, her partner trailing behind her.

"Hello, Jack. Nice to see you again," she said formally. "This is my colleague, Christophe."

Christophe inclined his head at Jack. "Pleasure." His voice was the same as Anastasia's: holding the remnants of a thick accent that, again, Jack couldn't quite place, yet he knew that he had been around it before.

"We have been up all night studying your drawing," Anastasia continued, her face impassive. Jack waited with bated breath.

Finally, they smiled, and Jack's spirits soared. "Mr. Dawson, we would be honored to offer you a job of managing one of our newest art galleries." Christophe offered graciously. "You will draw most pieces for it, and find other artists whose work you would like to put in. You may put the work of whoever you want into it. You will also hire the staff, and maintain the place. Do you accept?"

Jack was speechless. This was better than he could have ever imagined. He tried to speak, but found that his throat was having trouble forming words. After some stammering, he managed to say, "Uh…ah…yeah."

Anastasia looked as though she was trying hard not to roll her eyes, but managed a small smile. Christophe shook his hand vigorously. "Wonderful! We will give you a month to sell your house, then pay for the move and for your hotel room while you search for a house in your new location."

"Yeah, sure, that's great!" Jack said eagerly. They gave him their contact information, and he was turning away, when he suddenly remembered to ask, "Oh, and where exactly are we moving to?"

They told him, and Jack was sure that he had heard wrong. "Could you repeat that, please?"

Once again, they told him, and he had heard right. "Jeez, alright, thank you!"

He dashed home as fast as he had ran to catch the Titanic with Fabrizio. "Rose!" he shouted, even though he was still a block away. He could faintly see Rose in the garden, teaching their daughters how to plant flowers and trying to stop Jasmine from eating the dirt. Josephine was staring at the clouds, not paying much attention, but Lainey was a natural.

"Rose!" he shouted again.

She looked up, alarmed. "Jack, what happened? Did it work out?"

He ran up to her, out of breath. "I got the job!" he exclaimed after a moment's pause.

Rose leapt up and kissed him. "Oh, Jack, I knew you would! You're such a good artist!"

"But there's more," he went on. "The job is moving us, and they said they would pay for it and all that, but you'll never guess where we're moving to."

Rose thought, furrowing her brow. "Not back to New York, right?"

Jack grinned larger then she had seen him grin in a long time. "No…

"Rose, we're moving to Paris."


	17. Chapter 17: A key to the chains

**Here's another chapter, fresh from the writing pad :) Thank you so much again for the reviews! Keep it up! Another one of my longer chapters, so I hope everyone enjoys!**

Rose breathed in the calming smell of ocean air. This time, however, it was Atlantic Ocean air, not Pacific.

They were once again in New York, about a month after Jack got the fabulous job offer. In her mind's eye, Rose saw everything that had happened in the past month flash by.

Their house had sold surprisingly fast—to an elderly couple who wanted to spend their remaining years on the beach with each other. Their names were Clara and Roland, and although their looks had withered, they looked at each other with nothing but love in their eyes. When Rose looked at them, she thought that that was what she wanted her and Jack to look like, 50 years from then.

When they informed Eddie and Dorothy that they were moving, Eddie shook Jack's hand and wished them luck, while Dorothy burst into tears. She loved Lainey and Josephine—Eddie had told Rose and Jack that she thought of the toddlers as "her dolls, but more fun".

The most significant thing, however, had happened the night before they were supposed to leave. They were sitting on the beach, hand in hand, watching the blue waves crash like thunder then turn to nothing but foam. Josie and Lainey were dipping their feet into the water, shrieking and giggling. Suddenly, they heard voices. "My, this is lovely, isn't it, Cal?"

"Yes, well, I have seen better."

Rose felt her head spin. _No…it couldn't possibly be…_ She had barely glanced at the article that they had seen a while ago about Cal and Ruth moving to the area, figuring that it was just reporters gossip. But she would know those pompous, I-know-all voices anywhere.

She and Jack locked gazes, and she could see her panic reflected back in his eyes. Hiding under her curtain of hair and praying that it was not them, she darted her eyes toward the voices.

Yet there they stood. Cal had the same arrogant smirk and heavily lidded eyes, wearing a suit even though he was at the beach, and turning his nose up at friendly passerby. Ruth had on a stuffy dress, hands clasped firmly at her sides, with her same pale, condescending eyes.

Rose looked away, then stood up, trying not to draw attention to herself. She scurried over to where her children were now throwing fistfuls of sand into the ocean. "Come on, darlings," she whispered. "Time to go."

"Awww!" they whined, their high-pitched voices alarmingly loud.

Panic seized Rose, constricting her chest. Without another word, she picked up Josephine and walked with purpose towards a cluster of palm trees by the side of the road, which would protect them from Cal and Ruth's wandering gaze.. Following her lead, Jack lifted Lainey into the air and hurried after her.

He wasn't fast enough. As Rose and Josephine went into the trees, Jack saw Cal turn his head sharply towards them, as if he sensed something. Jack quickly looked down.

Cal looked over to the other side of the beach. He saw a flash of messy blond hair and his eyes widened…but then he saw the small, brown-haired child that the man was carrying in his arms. _Neither the whore nor the gutter rat has brown hair. It cannot be them._ He turned away disappointedly.

Jack made it to the palm trees, and they raced home. The next morning, they were up as early as they could, quickly handing over the key to their house, grabbing their suitcases, and meeting Anastasia and Christophe at the train station.

All of this flashed through Rose's mind in the blink of an eye. She hated that her last memory of Santa Monica had been tainted by the darkness that Cal left everywhere he went.

Being back in New York had been surprising, too. They were so used to the friendly Santa Monica natives that they had smiled and waved at strangers on the streets in New York, too. Instead of waving back, however, the New Yorkers had raised an eyebrow and hurried past them.

Now they were approaching the dock. The large ship, named _The Captain's Jewel_, slowly came into view. As they prepared to board, however, Rose was seized with sudden panic. It was all too familiar: the blowing of the ship's horn, the loved ones waving from the dock, all the people smiling up at the ship. She stopped walking, then bent over and tried not to hyperventilate. "Mommy?" Josephine asked, tugging on Rose's dress with her tiny hand.

Jack motioned for Anastasia and Christophe to take the children and their dog and go ahead. "Rose?" he said gently, cupping her face in his hand and pulling her chin up so that she looked at him.

He saw panic in her eyes. "Jack…the ship…sinking…I can't!" she said, her voice breathy.

"Rose," he said firmly. "You _can_. Because you have. You're a survivor, and so am I. And we're _not_ going to let Titanic influence our lives like this. The only thing about it that I think about is finding you."

Rose looked deep into his crystal blue eyes, and saw that he was speaking nothing but the truth. Taking a deep breath, she stepped on board the ship, keeping her face hidden in Jack's shirt.

They walked into the lobby. Now that they were inside the ship, it felt so smooth that she could almost believe that she was back on land.

They saw Christophe and Anastasia standing by some ornate doors. Anastasia was speaking softly to the children, and Christophe was cringing as Jasmine tried her hardest to lick his face.

Rose and Jack walked up to them, Rose's fear slowly ebbing away.

"Mommy!" Josephine cried. "We see water?"

Rose kissed her forehead. "Yes, sweetie, of course we can go see the water."

They walked up to the top deck and over to the railing. Rose looked at Lainey, who she was holding in her arms. Lainey's brown eyes sparkled, her dark, curly locks blew in the breeze, and her round face shone with happiness. She waved a small hand in the air, her pink lips curled up in a small smile. There was a lump in Rose's throat—she looked so much like Cora.

Yet as Rose looked out at the ocean, the waves _shlopping _against the shore and the seagulls cawing their hearts out, she felt a strange feeling of calmness. This ship would not be like Titanic. She had a family now, a place in life. They would get to France safely, she sensed it.

She thought about how she had felt on Titanic: as if she was going to America in chains.

Those chains were long gone now, because Jack had the only key.


	18. Chapter 18: It was meant to work

**Yay, longest chapter yet! I'm starting to wrap up this story now. I think there will only be one more chapter after this, then the epilogue and authors note. As always, thanks for the reviews and keep writing them! Love you guys!**

Even though the ship sailed smoothly from New York to a dock on the coast of France, Rose was eager to get off. When it finally docked, she was the first one to step off, scurrying down the ramp as though the ship had snarled at her.

Anastasia and Christophe were partly paying for their new house, since they were moving for the job, and had picked out several houses for them to look at.

Rose and Jack had trouble finding the right house, though—none of them seemed right for the family. The first one was beautiful, but a little too far outside of town for their liking. The second one was run-down, and the third had practically no backyard.

Finally, they looked at one that they thought was perfect. It was in a woodsier area just outside of the main part of Paris. There were 2 floors, wide rooms with lots of windows, and cream-colored walls. The backyard was spacious, and right next to them was a horse farm. Possibly best of all, if they looked out the window on the top floor, they could see the very top of the Eiffel Tower.

The house was being sold by a charming elderly woman named Lorraine who spoke nearly perfect English. When Rose asked why she was moving, she sadly told them that her husband had recently passed away. "I just need to get out of Paris," she said dejectedly, staring out a window.

Rose hesitantly touched her arm. "Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that." Glancing at Jack, she added, "We would really like to buy this house, if no one has asked for it yet."

Lorraine brightened. "Oh, zat would be wonderful!" she exclaimed, her accent heavy. "When can you move in?"

They moved in the following week, gazing around happily. "I like it!" Lainey declared. "Can we stay?"

Jack laughed. "Yes, sweetie, we can stay."

Rose cooked dinner, then afterwards went into the garden with Lainey and Josie. Jack watched them through a window, sketching quickly. Lainey helped Rose plant flowers, her little brow furrowed in concentration. Josephine danced around the garden like the free spirit that she was, with Jasmine running around her, her tongue lolling out of her mouth.

Jack's heart swelled just watching them. His family was perfect. They would love it in Paris, he just knew it.

That night, he stared up at their ceiling for a while before falling asleep. Tomorrow was his first day on the job, but he wasn't nervous: this was what he was meant to do.

He woke up early the next morning, grabbed a box filled with his art, and headed to the gallery. It was a charming, well-cared-for building only a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower, so there were a lot of tourists that would come in and look at the art.

Anastasia and Christophe met him at the front of the building. "It is lovely, is it not?" Anastasia asked Jack. He nodded. "It was just finished being built a few days ago," she continued.

Christophe checked his pocket watch. "We have an appointment with the owner of another art gallery on the other side of Paris, so we really must be going. We are leaving it to you to put in your own drawings that you think are best, hire someone to manage the desk, hang up the artwork that we have left for you, and find any other artists that you think have artwork fit to be in the museum. The grand opening of the museum is at 4:00, and there is one group who has been set up to tour it today."

They wished him luck, then left quickly. Jack stood in front of the gallery and whistled. He had a _lot_ of work to do.

The gallery was beautiful, with marble floors, stained glass windows, and mahogany frames all around the walls for artwork. There were sculptures all around, made by well-known artists. Working quickly, he was able to get most of his pieces and the artwork that they had left for him arranged in the gallery by about 1:00.

As he was sitting down to eat a sandwich that Rose had packed for him, he heard the gallery door open. Jack was confused. The tourists weren't supposed to come until 4:00, so who was at the door?

Walking into the lobby, he saw a young girl, maybe 18, sitting on one of the leather couches. She was fairly clean, with creamy, clear skin and fresh clothing, but her eyes had the slightly wild look that comes from living on the streets. She was very petite, and had jade eyes, wavy blond hair, and a button nose.

When she looked up and saw Jack, fear showed in her eyes and she began to move towards the door. "Wait," Jack said, his voice gentle. She paused, but still looked wary.

"What are you doing here?" He asked confusedly.

"My-my name eez Eleanor," she told him in a small, high-pitched voice with a heavy accent. "I came een here because eet was warm."

Jack smiled sadly. He knew how that felt: he had lived on the streets in Paris before, and March was never very warm. Then he noticed a black portfolio that she was carrying under her arm. "Do you draw?" he asked her.

She flushed. Clearly, she was not used to being spoken to. "Actually, I paint. Weeth watercolors."

"May I see?" Jack held out his hand. Reluctantly, she gave him the portfolio.

He opened to the first page and tried not to gasp. It was of a stream in a forest, but it was amazing work. The colors blended together so well, that he felt as though it was real, like he had been sitting next to her the day she drew it. He could hear the water rushing over the rocks, smell the flowers by the stream, feel the breeze.

"This-this is beautiful," he managed to say.

Eleanor looked shocked. "Really?"

Jack nodded, a sudden idea coming to him. "Hey, how would you like it if some of your work was put up in this gallery? You would get paid. Oh, and since you need a job, how about you work here too?"

Eleanor blinked. "Oh…oh! Oh, thank ju, thank ju!" She ran to him and hugged him.

Jack laughed. "No problem." He went to the drawer where Anastasia had left money for him to pay artists whose paintings he wanted to put up, got out a large wad of bills. "Here's the money for your artwork and your first few weeks pay. Use this to rent an apartment or something."

Eleanor's face shone with happiness. "Oh, thank ju! Now I can get a home!"

Jack hung up her artwork, then taught her how to do her job. The tour group arrived at 4:00 sharp, and thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Jack could tell that this gallery was going to be very successful.

As they cleaned up the gallery after hours, Jack questioned Eleanor about why she was homeless, trying not to pry. She became more relaxed as time went on, eventually telling him that her father had died from a heart disease. Her mother went into a depression, not working and eventually just withering away from grief. They had spent all of their money trying to keep the house and getting grief counselors for her mother, but the money ran out. Eleanor was all alone in the world.

Jack felt terrible for her. He completely understood what she was going through, for it was exactly what happened to him. He realized that she had nowhere to stay for the night. "Um, Eleanor," he began, clearing his throat. "Would you like to stay at my house tonight? My wife is a wonderful cook."

Her face lit up. "I would love to! I weel get an apartment tomorrow, I promeese!"

They walked home together. "Rose, I brought a guest!" Jack called.

Rose walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "Oh, hello!" She said, beaming at Eleanor.

Eleanor got along well with them at dinner. She was clearly very funny, and Josephine and Lainey adored her.

That night, Rose and Jack were talking in bed. "She is a lovely girl," Rose said.

Jack grinned. "Yeah, but you're lovelier."

She blushed. "I love you, Jack."

"I love you too, Rose."

They slept soundly the whole night long.


	19. Chapter 19: Never Let Go

**My last chapter :( But there is still the epilogue and author's note! DO NOT forget to read the epilogue and author's note! I'll have them both up by 8:00 tomorrow night! Love you guys! :)**

A month passed. The art gallery became more and more popular, with famous art critics coming to see Jack's work. Eleanor got an apartment near the gallery, and became a good friend to both Rose and Jack. Anastasia and Christophe loved what Jack had done with the gallery, and promised to keep funding it as long as he kept up the good work.

Rose had starred in several local French plays, while Josie and Lainey got bigger. The family went to the horse farm next door nearly every day. It was owned by a man named Girard. He was very kind, and loved Josephine and Lainey, letting them sit on his lap while he rode his chestnut horse, Noël. Eleanor often went with them to the horse farm, but Rose suspected that it was more because she wanted to see Girard's handsome 19-year-old son, Philippe.

Life in Paris was perfect. This was what they had always wanted.

On April 15th, 1914, the two-year anniversary of Titanic sinking, Jack and Rose went out to dinner, leaving Eleanor to babysit the kids.

They walked through the streets of Paris with the sun setting behind them, illuminating their figures. The streets smelled like pastries cooking. All around, people dined at tables with red velvet tablecloths over them, or walked their poodles down the street. The flowers were just beginning to bloom. Everything in Paris was so _elegant_, but in a friendly way instead of an intimidating one.

They dined at a quaint little restaurant, where their waiter had a handlebar mustache and they could see the food being prepared. "Oh Jack, this is lovely," Rose sighed, as they were eating their main course of savory meat.

Jack's eyes sparkled. "You think this is nice, well, I've got a real treat for you then."

After dinner, Jack pulled Rose out of the restaurant. "Where are we going?" Rose giggled, trying to keep up with him.

Jack stopped. "We're here!"

Rose's mouth opened in shock. They were at the base of the Eiffel Tower. "Oh, Jack, I've wanted to do this for so long! But it's so…high."

Jack laughed. "C'mon!" And they walked inside.

They climbed. And they climbed. And then they climbed some more. Finally, limbs aching, they emerged at the top.

The first thing Rose registered was, although windy, how _clean_ the air was up this high. In America, whether it was Santa Monica, Philadelphia, or New York City, there was always pollution in the air. Here, however, it was nothing but cold, fresh oxygen.

"C'mere," Jack whispered, and he led her over to the railing.

Rose gasped. Her eyes bugged and her jaw dropped.

It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. All of Paris was spread out below them, millions of tiny lights twinkling against a velvety black night. The Seine river flowed in the distance with an almost ghostly light. There was no way possible to describe the beauty of the scene. She knew it that moment that this is where she was meant to be "Jack, I love this!" She said in a hushed voice. "And I love our life in Paris. And I love our friends, and our dog, and our children, and…I love you, Jack."

Jack faced her and took her hands. "I love you more than I've ever loved anything, Rose."

Rose smiled, and they kissed. She felt fireworks, as intense as the first time they kissed on the deck of Titanic. Jack was her soul mate, and this was what her life was meant to be like. She saw the rest of her life before her eyes: Lainey, Josephine, and Jack.

And she would never let go.


	20. Epilogue

**Short and sweet, in my opinion :) I'll get the author's note up in about an hour, by 8:30 at the latest.**

**Epilogue**

Life in Paris continued to go well. The gallery became very popular, and eventually, Anastasia and Christophe just gave it to Jack. Jack became a very well-known artist around France. Meanwhile, Rose became a wonderful actress, and people came from all over France to see her perform. At Eleanor and Philippe's wedding, Jack was the best man and Rose the maid-of-honor. When Girard died, he left the horse farm to them, and riding horses became Rose's passion.

They told Lainey the truth about her parents as soon as she could say full sentences, so it wouldn't come as a shock to her later. When she grew up, she became an author, writing her birth parent's stories, as well as Jack and Rose's Titanic story. She married a man named Seamus from Ireland who looked and acted shockingly like Tommy from the Titanic. They had two kids: Elizabeth Astor, and Madeline JJ Astor Junior.

Josephine, meanwhile, became a dancer, which matched her free spirit perfectly. She toured all over the world, although she never married.

Rose and Jack moved back to America in the early 1950's to live out the rest of their lives. They ended up in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.

Jack died in 1968. Rose was very, very sad, but she lived her life to the fullest, to preserve Jack's memory. In the late 70s, as Rose's health started to deteriorate, Elizabeth moved in with her. She died in 1998 as a very old woman, passing in her sleep.

She had kept her promise to Jack: she had had babies, and watched them grow, and now, she had died an old lady, warm in her bed.

She had never let go of Jack, and Jack had never let go of her. They loved each other to the fullest, and would always cherish the moment that they fell in love.

On Titanic.


	21. Author's Note

**Author's Note :)**

**I can't believe it's over! I absolutely LOVED every minute of writing this, and it seems surreal that it's ending.**

**I want to thank quite a few people—**

**My top reviewers: EternalSerenityGallagherGirl, Loves2Write34, LimeGreenLilli, HoPe290, Racheldaninja, and Victoria Chrystallis. **

**I KNOW that there are many more reviewers than this, but these were my top ones. They reviewed at least half my chapters or more. So I thank all my other reviewers too!**

**Elphaba-Eponine-Rose-1297, for my first review, and for writing such wonderful stories!**

**My best friend, Leela, for sharing my love of Titanic :)**

**Thank you to everyone else that even remotely had anything to do with this story!**

**I am, in fact, going to write another Titanic story, and I already have the idea for the plot. It actually LITERALLY came to me in a dream, which was pretty cool. **

**However, I am first going to write a fanfiction for the Pretty Little Liars books. If you have read them, you should check it out! I need to say, though, that that fanfic will be for BOOKS ONLY. The show is completely different!**

**So, as I switch this story from In-Progress to Complete, I am filled with both joy and sadness. I never wanted this to end! It's been great :)**

**Thank you, everyone, again. And, as always, I hope you enjoyed.**

**Love you guys :)**

**-Volleyballgirl122 (aka Natalie)**


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